914 1/2 3rd Ave NE

Overpriced

16 photos

Photos courtesy of Edina Realty, Inc., via Realtor.com.

Asking price: $625,000
Monthly cash flow: −$1,285
Estimated rent: $4,200/mo
Break-even price: $383,582

Adjust the numbers See the full breakdown

From the listing

Well-maintained 3-unit townhome investment opportunity in the heart of Buffalo, conveniently located near shopping, dining, parks, healthcare, and everyday amenities. This rare one-level-living, multi-family offering features three thoughtfully designed units, each with 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, attached 1-stall garage, and desirable slab-on-grade construction for easy maintenance and accessibility. End units enjoy patios, adding outdoor living appeal for tenants and owners alike. Functional layouts, strong rental appeal, and a highly convenient location make this an excellent opportunity for investors seeking stable income potential in a growing community. A turnkey addition to any investment portfolio.

Listing courtesy of Edina Realty, Inc. (Brette Hermann). Description from Realtor.com, MLS #7072351. Believed reliable but not guaranteed; confirm with the listing agent. View on Realtor.com ↗

The numbers

Edit rents, costs and assumptions

Default: 20% down (no PMI), offer at asking, self-managed, 7.00% for 30 years, buyer pays closing costs (3%).

The deal

Price: $625,000
Cash to close: $143,750
Price per unit: $208,333
GRM: 12.4

Each month

Cash flow: −$1,285/mo
Cash-on-cash: −10.7%
Cap rate: 3.9%
DSCR: 0.61×

Break-even

Price that breaks even: $383,582
Rent that breaks even: $5,847/mo

Long run

Year 30: property vs stocks: $1.51M vs $1.89M
Cash flow turns positive: year 20

Monthly

Monthly breakdown

Rent	$4,200
Vacancy (6%)	−$252
Collected	$3,948
Property tax Listing	−$627
Insurance Estimate	−$292
Water, sewer, trash Estimate	−$255
Lawn care ($120 × 6 mo ÷ 12)	−$60
Repairs (8% of rent)	−$336
Capital reserve (8% of rent)	−$336
Net operating income	$2,042
Mortgage (principal + interest)	−$3,327
Cash flow	−$1,285
Principal paid down (equity, not cash)	$423

Cash flow each year

Rents +3%/yr, costs +3.5%/yr. Red bars are months you'd cover out of pocket.

30 years

How those totals add up

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,517,039
Minus 6% selling cost	−$91,022
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $562,500 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$25,918 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$29,106
What you'd walk away with	$1,455,123
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($81,250) invested at 7%	$618,496
Monthly shortfalls ($284,433 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,317,919
What you'd walk away with	$1,936,414
Building minus stocks	−$481,291

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,517,039
Minus 6% selling cost	−$91,022
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $562,500 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$0 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$0
What you'd walk away with	$1,426,017
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($81,250) invested at 7%	$618,496
Monthly shortfalls ($461,368 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,841,512
What you'd walk away with	$2,460,008
Building minus stocks	−$1,033,991

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,492,766
Minus 6% selling cost	−$89,566
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $553,500 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$30,947 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$35,322
What you'd walk away with	$1,438,522
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($79,950) invested at 7%	$608,600
Monthly shortfalls ($267,635 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,254,522
What you'd walk away with	$1,863,121
Building minus stocks	−$424,599

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,492,766
Minus 6% selling cost	−$89,566
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $553,500 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$0 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$0
What you'd walk away with	$1,403,200
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($79,950) invested at 7%	$608,600
Monthly shortfalls ($439,543 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,771,899
What you'd walk away with	$2,380,499
Building minus stocks	−$977,299

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,517,039
Minus 6% selling cost	−$91,022
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $500,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$69,533 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$87,109
What you'd walk away with	$1,513,125
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($143,750) invested at 7%	$1,094,262
Monthly shortfalls ($161,479 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$795,806
What you'd walk away with	$1,890,068
Building minus stocks	−$376,943

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,517,039
Minus 6% selling cost	−$91,022
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $500,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$4,395 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$4,560
What you'd walk away with	$1,430,576
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($143,750) invested at 7%	$1,094,262
Monthly shortfalls ($299,195 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,265,957
What you'd walk away with	$2,360,218
Building minus stocks	−$929,642

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,492,766
Minus 6% selling cost	−$89,566
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $492,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$76,690 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$97,467
What you'd walk away with	$1,500,667
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($141,450) invested at 7%	$1,076,753
Monthly shortfalls ($149,476 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$745,833
What you'd walk away with	$1,822,587
Building minus stocks	−$321,920

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,492,766
Minus 6% selling cost	−$89,566
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $492,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$6,384 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$6,703
What you'd walk away with	$1,409,903
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($141,450) invested at 7%	$1,076,753
Monthly shortfalls ($282,024 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,207,768
What you'd walk away with	$2,284,522
Building minus stocks	−$874,619

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,517,039
Minus 6% selling cost	−$91,022
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $468,750 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$99,933 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$132,853
What you'd walk away with	$1,558,870
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($175,000) invested at 7%	$1,332,145
Monthly shortfalls ($117,033 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$605,882
What you'd walk away with	$1,938,027
Building minus stocks	−$379,157

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,517,039
Minus 6% selling cost	−$91,022
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $468,750 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$14,762 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$16,193
What you'd walk away with	$1,442,210
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($175,000) invested at 7%	$1,332,145
Monthly shortfalls ($234,716 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,041,922
What you'd walk away with	$2,374,066
Building minus stocks	−$931,856

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,492,766
Minus 6% selling cost	−$89,566
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $461,250 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$108,292 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$146,297
What you'd walk away with	$1,549,497
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($172,200) invested at 7%	$1,310,830
Monthly shortfalls ($107,428 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$562,765
What you'd walk away with	$1,873,595
Building minus stocks	−$324,098

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,492,766
Minus 6% selling cost	−$89,566
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $461,250 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$18,354 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$20,476
What you'd walk away with	$1,423,676
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($172,200) invested at 7%	$1,310,830
Monthly shortfalls ($220,345 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$989,644
What you'd walk away with	$2,300,474
Building minus stocks	−$876,798

Future dollars. At 3% inflation, divide year-30 figures by about 2.4 for today's buying power. Rental profits are assumed invested, not spent.

30 years: this property vs. the same money in stocks

This propertyStocks at 7%

Year 30 (loan paid off): property $1.51M, stocks $1.89M. Stocks win.

Comparable rentals

The closest rental listings with each unit's bedroom count, as of 2026-10-04. The estimate is the median asking rent of every rental we found nearby (the count is shown for each); houses are left out. Asking rents from Realtor.com rental listings, not signed leases.

2 bed estimate $1,400/mo · range $1,200–$1,775 · 9 rentals within 9.75 mi

Address	Rent	Bd / Ba	Sq ft	Distance	Listed	Type
911 6th Ave NE, Buffalo	$1,369	2 / 2	990	0.1 mi	2026-08-31	Apartment
1506 Anderson Ave, Buffalo	$1,020	2 / 1.5	1,025	0.8 mi	2025-06-30	Apartment
1255 Edmonson Ave NE, Monticello	$1,690	2 / 2	1,174	8.3 mi	2025-04-29	Apartment
2205 Meadow Oak Ave, Monticello	$1,825	2 / 2	1,056	8.8 mi	2024-06-11	Apartment
725 Minnesota St, Monticello	$1,345	2 / 2	908	8.8 mi	2024-04-12	Apartment
708 7th St NW, Monticello	$1,404	2 / 1	1,000	8.9 mi	2025-04-03	Apartment
212 Locust St, Monticello	$1,790	2 / 2	970	9.2 mi	2025-05-06	Apartment
8330 Cedar St Apt 3, Rockford	$900	2 / —	680	9.2 mi	2026-09-09	Multi family
8070 State Highway 55, Rockford	$1,350	2 / 2	1,100	9.7 mi	2025-01-03	Apartment

On the maps, this property and comparable rentals. Comparable rentals and rent estimate: Realtor.com rental listings. Rents are asking rents from listings; check them against the actual leases.

Red flags and opportunities

Watch for

mediumCouldn't match this address to a county parcel record, so taxes and unit count are unverified. Public record: County parcels: no match for 914 1/2 3RD AVE NE
mediumAsking is $241,418 above the price where cash flow breaks even ($383,582) at the default scenario. Based on: Derived: price $625,000 vs. break-even $383,582

Opportunities

Long time on market: room to negotiate. Based on: Listing data: 146 days on market

Questions for the agent

Can we see the current leases and a rent roll, with move-in dates?
What did water/sewer/trash, heat and electric cost the owner over the last 12 months?
How old are the roof, boiler or furnaces, water heaters and electrical panels?
Is the building licensed as a rental for this many units, and when was the last city inspection?
Any special assessments pending, and will the seller pay them off at closing?

Standard questions worth asking about any building.

What the records say

Where each number comes from

Property tax / yr Listinglisting, tax year 2026. The tax the listing states. If the seller lives there it may be at the lower homestead rate; an investor owner pays the non-homestead rate, often 20–40% more on the owner's unit.	$7,526
Insurance / yr Estimateestimate. from units, square feet and age; get a quote	$3,507
Water, sewer, trash / mo Estimateestimate. $85/unit/mo, owner-paid	$255
Heat / mo Assumptionassumption. tenants pay heat; confirm with the agent	$0
Lawn care / mo Assumptionassumption. $120/mo for 6 months, spread over 12; no snow removal	$60
Repairs / capital reserve Rulerule. base rate	8% / 8%

Status history

2026-05-12New at $625,000

From the listing Listing

Listed as	triplex
Property tax, 2026	$7,526
County	Wright
Parcel number	103230001010

As the listing states it (NorthstarMLS, via Realtor.com). We don't have county records here yet; check the tax, homestead status and special assessments with the county.

Crime, rental-license and vacant-building records are only available for St. Paul and Minneapolis so far. Check with Buffalo on rental licensing before you buy.